Cutting Wire Goes Really Manic - The Western Mail, 30th October 2004

One of the Manic Street Preachers has launched a stinging attack on other rock bands across the water as the group prepares to launch its seventh album.

Bassist Nicky Wire has attacked bands such as The White Stripes and Jet branding them '******* crap.'

He also attacked bands that created music in their bedroom, but found some strange praise for pop singer Daniel Bedingfield.

Appearing on the Orange Play- list show he said, "The White Stripes - I just don't get that at all. When they say 'We recorded the whole album in two days', it's like, yeah it sounds like it - it sounds ******* crap because you recorded it in a second. And Jet, Jet are so bad. Their music has the mental age of a foetus. I think it's too easy to make good music. There are so many idiots out there who've got rigs and computers in their bedroom who are making unbelievably average music that sounds quite good - it's not a healthy thing."

As the band waits to release Lifeblood, Wire said it was important for bands to change.

"From David Bowie to U2 you have to know when it's time to evolve - if you don't, you die, like dodos you become extinct. You have to know when to stop and get out. I think we'll know when it's time to stop."

Obviously that is not at the moment, as the rest of the band have expressed pride in their new album, which came after a Greatest Hits album and a B-side album.

But while other bands found themselves on the end of Wire's bile, one man has made an impact on the bassist.

He said, "I met Daniel Bedingfield at CD:UK. "He is an absolutely brilliant nutter actually. He's truly warped and mad - in a good way."